Entertainment news. Philadelphia police say they have one man in custody and are searching for two others in connection with the stabbing death of a member of rapper Nicki Minaj’s touring group earlier this week outside an East Mount Airy bar. Captain James Clark tells us, “We’ve identified all the participants on both sides, and an arrest is imminent on this murder.”
Nicki Minay. Photo courtesy www.hiphopdx.com
29-year-old De’Von Pickett of New York, who was working as tour manager for Minaj, was in town for rehearsals for her upcoming European tour. Pickett and 27-year-old Eric Parker of Philadelphia went with a group of friends Tuesday night to Che Bar and Grill, located in the 6300 block of Stenton Avenue.
When the bar closed, around 2:30 a.m., Pickett and Parker’s group got into a fight with a group of local men on the sidewalk just down the street from the bar. Police say the altercation was allegedly sparked by a dispute over a woman who worked in the bar. “Both of the parties both knew a female who worked at the bar, and the arguments centered around her,” Captain Clark explained.
Clark says a verbal altercation quickly escalated into a physical confrontation. One of the men pulled out a knife and stabbed both Pickett and Parker multiple times. Pickett was killed, and Parker was critically injured.
Police are searching for two other persons-of-interest. They are known to police but their names have not yet been released. On her verified Twitter account on Wednesday, Nicki Minaj confirmed her association with the victims, writing, “Two members of my team were stabbed last night in Philly. One was killed. They had only been there for two days rehearsing for the tour.” Article courtesy http://6abc.com. CaribDirect has learnt that Pickett and Parker were trying to help the woman from the bar out of some difficulty.
De’Von Pickett left and Parker. Photo courtesy www.nydailynews.com
